Rotary combustion-engine.



PATENTED NOV. 12, 1907.

F. BURGER.

ROTARY COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.17. 1903.

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No. 871,030. PATENTBD NOV. 12, 1907:.

- F.BURGER.

B.0TARY COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 17.1903,

4 SHEETS-BEEBT 2.

.110. 871,030. PATENTED Nov. 12, 1907.

F. BURGER.

ROTARY COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEG-17.1903.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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FRANZ BURGER, or roar WAYNE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR'OF THREE-FOURTHS TO HENRY M. WILLIAMS, OF ron r WAYNE, INDIANA.

ROTARYtCOMIBUSTION-ENGINE.

Specification of Letters I'atent.

PatentedNov. 1a,-1 9o7.'

Application filed December 17. 1903. Serial No. 186,608.

v United States, residingat Fort Wayne, in the county of Allen and. State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Combustion-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to turbine engines adapted to be run by air under pressure or by. a mixture of air and gas or other combustible fluid under pressure.

In carrying out my invention, I propose to employ two similar turbines, one of which will act as a motor and the other'asan air compressor, both connected to .the same A combustion chamber is located between.;the' turbines and communicates with both and thecomhris'tiblefluid is admitted to and burned in this chamber.- The compressing turbine forces air under -.pr ssure int0 the combustion chamber where it meets thei'burningifluid and is expanded and passes into the motor trirbineio operate it and thereby drive the shaft carryingboth turbines.

mi t oo ehgine lhe invention will be fully described hereinafter,

' reie'rence'b'eing had to the accompanying drawings, in

, .Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved turbine en- 'gine; Fig 2 is a vertical longitudinal section; 3 is a transverse section throughone .of the'combus tion chambers; Fig.4 is a similar view through the partition between the combustion chambers; Fig. 5 is a plan view of a portion of each turbine, with the casing removed showing-the arrangement'of the vanes.

The turbines and A, each consists of a tapering cylindrical shell 1 provided with interior annular grooves intowhich are fitted the stationary vane rings 1 2. The revolvingvanes 3- are carried-by wheels 4 secured to a shaft 5, The wheels 4 abut against each other and gradually increasein diameter and the vanes 3 work freely between the vane rings 2. The shaft 5, is

supported to rotate in pillow blocks 6 and at its central portionis provided an-enlarged portion 7' against which the smaller of thewheels 4 in each turbine abuts.

' As shown, the smaller ends oithe tapered cylinders oppose each other and each of these ends is provided with i an enlarged extension 8, wh'ich may be integral with the shell or rigidly connected .to it, and each eitension is provided with an interior annular channel, that in one being indicated by 21 'and in the other by 22. A

, series of holesi2- lead from "these channels to the in terior of the extensions The turbinesA and A are. identical in'construction except that the vanes 3 one extend at a reverse angle to the vanes 3 in the other, so that when'A is used as a motor the shaft 5 will turn in one direction and when A is the motor, it will turii in the opposite direction.

Upon theenlarged portion 7 of the shaft a collar 35 is fitted and abuts at each end against the inner end wheels 4 of the turbines. A partition indicated as a whole by b fits loosely over the collar 35 and, when the parts are assembled, is clampedbetween the extensions 8, and two combustion chambers 19 and 20 are thus formed at the ends of the respective turbines with which the channels 21 and 22 respectively communicate through the holes .23. From the channels 21 and 22, pipes 24 and 25 lead to a three-way valve 26, and a pipe 27 leads from the valve to a four-way coupling 28, which is connected to a compressed fuel tank 29. The plug of the valve 26 is provided with a handle 30, and fuel can therefore be admitted from the tank 29 to either of the channels 21 or 22 as desired. 4

The partition I) is made up of three disks 10, 11 and 12. The disk 11 is recessed to receive the disk 12 which is flush with it and the disk 10 covers the disk 12 and engagedbya worm 13 carried by a shaft 14 extending through a tangential bore in the disk" 11 and provided with a hand wheel 16 at its outer end. Preferably, a stufiing box 15 is provided for the shaft 14 to prevent leakage of air or fuel. a slot 18 into which a fixed pin 18 extends, and acts as a stop to limit the movement of the disk 12. .By operating the worm 13, the disk 12 can be turned to bring its "openings 17 into or out of -register with the similar openings in' the disks 10 and 11 and thus establish'or cut off communication between thechalmbers 19 and 20.

Pipes 31 and 32 lead from the channels 21 and 22, respectively, to a' compressed air tank 34, and these pipes are provided with valves 31 and '32 respec-' tively. These pipes extend through the channels 21 and 22 and open into the combustion chambers 19 and 20, as indicated at 35 in Fig. 3.

The disk 12 is also provided with The turbines A and A are respectively provided with heads 50 and 49 secured to the larger ends of the tapered casings 1 and these heads have internal annular The shaft 5extends beyond the pillow b1ocks'6 and carries two smaller turbines 36-and 37, each adapted respectively, lead to channels 41' and 41 in the'casing s of the turbines s7 and'36, andpipes 4s and-15 lead iromchannels 50 and 49., respectively, from which pipes them to the four-way coupling 28. These latter pipes are respectively provided witha valve 48 and 47. 'One of these turbines is constructed to compress gas when theshait 5 revolves in one direction and the other-to compress it when the shaft 5 revolves in the opposite Y direction. The shaft'5 extends beyond the turbine 37 and is provided'with a coupling indicated by 38 from which power may be conveyed. Such being the general construction of the machine, its operation is as follows: v

The tanks 29 34 having been respectively charged with gas and air under the desired pressure, and assuming that the turbine A is to be the motor and 'the turbine A the air compressor, the disk 12 will be turned to close communication between the chambers 19 and 20. The valve 26 will be turned to the position indi-. cated-in Fig. 2 and gas, or other combustible fluid,

: will then flow under pressure from the tank 29 to the channel 2l through the openings 23 to the chamber 19 to,rotate them and the shaft 5. As thewh'eels 4 gradually increase in diameter toward the outlet 52, which in. this case formsthe exhaust port, the leverage of the successive vanes 3 will be correspondingly increased,

and substantially the proportion of decrease of the expansive force of the air. The vanes 3 in the turbine A will also be rotated and draw air in through the opening 51 and compress it'into 'the chamber 20. As

soon as suflicient speed is attained, the disk 12 is turned to bring the openings 17 in the disks'lO; 11 and 12 ism 1register, and the air compressed by the turbine A into the chamber 20 will flow through the openings 17 into valve '32- opened at any time the chamber 19 and be expanded through the turbine A to operate the shaft 5. V

The turbines 36 and 37 will both be running but only one, say '36, operate as a compressor. If therefore gas be admitted through the pipe 42, it willbe compressed .into the pipe 45--and through the valve 47, which will be opened, into the tank 29 and the chamber 19 The valve 48 will be closed when the turbine 36 is acting as a compressor. fairly started, the valve 31 may be closed and the engine whereupon a portion' of the air compressed into the chamber 20 by the turbine A will flow through the pipe 32 into the tank '34 and the necessary pressure in this tank can be obtained for the next starting of the enginef v To stop the engine, the flow of gas through the pipe 42? must be out off and the valves i7 and 26 be closed. Valves 31, and 32 must also both'be closed. v To reverse the engine, turbine A will be used as a motor and turbine A as a compressor, and by operating the several valves properly the operations already described will take place with. the result that the shaft'5 will be rotated in the opposite direction. In thiscase the turbine 37 will be the gas compressor. The opening '52-willbg; the inlet for air to the compressing turbine A, and the opening 51 will be thelexhaus't for the motor turbine A,

When the engine has ring the running of the Without limiting myselfto the details of construction illustrated and described, I claim:-

1. The combination with a. shaft, of two turbines connected therewith, a combustion chamber communicating with both turbines, means for supplying compressed gas to: said chamber, and means for directing the gasto either one of the turbines so that either'one will operate as a" cating with both turbines, means for delivering fuel to either compartment of said chamber, and means for delivering air to either' compartment ofsaid bhambr, sub-v stantially as set forth. p

' The'combination with a shafh of two turbines 'connected to said shaft, a combustion chamber between the opposing ends of'the turbines communicating with both," .a partition in said chamber, means for delivering fuel under pressure to said chamber on either side of the partition, and means'for delivering air under pressure to said chamber ,on either" side nssetforth. Y

4. The combination with a. shaft, of two turbines connected to said shaft, a combustion chamber between the opposing, ends of the turbines communicating with both,-

a perforated partition in said chamber,.means for closing the perforations in said partition, means fordelivering fuel I under pressure to said chamber'on either .side of the par- .tition, and means for delivering air under pressure to said chamber on either side of said partition, substantially as set forth.

- 5. In a reversible Iturbine engine, the combination with a shaft, of two tapered turbines connected to said shaft with their smaller ends opposing each other, the moving vanes of one turbine extending at angles reverse to those at the other, a combustion chamber between the opposing ends'of the turbines communicdting with both, a partition i'n said combustion chamber means for admitting fuel under pressure to either side of the partition, and means -for admitting air under presstire to either side of said partition, substantially as set forth.

'6. In a reversible .turbine engine, the combination with a shaft,of two tapered turbines connected to said shaft with their smaller e'nds opposing each other, the moving vanes of one turbine extending at angles reverse to those of the other, a combustion chamber between the opposing ends of the turbines communicating with both, a perforated'lp'artition in said combustion chamber, means forvclosingthe' perforations in said partition, means for ad the other operates as an air compressor. supplying com-' pressed air to the combustion. chamber.

S. In a reversible turbine engine, the combination of a shaft, twoiurbines connected to said shaft, the moving vanes of one turbine extending at angles reverse to those of the other, a combustion chamber between the opposing ends of the turbines communicating with both, a perforated partitlou in said chamber, a pair of gascompl'essing turbines on the shaft, means for conveying gas from one gas. compressing turbine to one side of said partition; means for conveying gas from-the other gas compressing turbine to the other side of said partition, andmeans for supplying air under pressure to either side of said parti tion, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANZ BURGER.

Witnesses:

Gno. D. Cumin, LEOPOLD F. BURGER.

of said partition, substantially 

